I Googled for instructions to use social media at a working community and found guidelines for registered nurses. Now I know these are not designed for a certain workplace, but because I'm about to be a registered nurse and it's what interests me, I chose these guidelines to talk about this time.
I found these guidelines from a site for registered nurses, hosted by Sairaanhoitajaliitto which is a trade union for a registered nurses. And clearly these are in Finnish, so I'm translating these so they may not be in exact forms as shown in the website.
So first there's some general thoughts about using social media as a registered nurse, examples where and how to use it. Also there's a notification that sharing different social media channels for professional and private use or creating a profile for just a professional use is something to consider about. Professional channels can be used when working if your employer allows it and these could be used for example to get some new information or to consult some other professionals. Also there's a reminder that everything you will write, will remain for good and you can't forecast, which will spread and how widely. So you have to just write things, which you could write for a public board also. Reliability of the information is always to be considered carefully, because you can't never be sure about it. And before these certain guidelines, there's also a bold line which says that when using social media, you should always obey the same ethical principles as you're obeying in any other nurse's work.
1. You should use social media for the good of your patient. Meaning that you should develop tools, which would also benefit your patients. Without them you can also use social media as a tool, by sharing some useful information through it and by consulting other colleagues, when your patient needs it.
2. Always remember professional maneuvers, when keeping in touch with patients. Don't take care of your patient's sorrows through social media, if the tool is not certainly designed for it. Also consider carefully will you friend your patient in any social media, when you're using your private profile. Don't share anything, which could be insulting but write about nursing with respect for your patients.
3. Remember confidentiality and keeping silence. When writing something about a certain patient, remember to ask for a permission use patients facts or change details so much, that identification of this patient will be impossible. Never publish anything, even in private communities, which would make your patient identifiable. Don't share pictures or documents from your workplace without a permission from the participants. Always remember to pay attention to your workplace's own rules about using social media.
4. Take care of your own safety and privacy. Use strong, incalculable passwords and always check your privacy settings. Don't open links which seems suspicious. Report about information security problems, if you notice something. Think about when and where you should tell about your private things and how detailedly you are telling about them.
5. Be responsible about your profession's and employer's public image. Remember that you're in creating image about registered nurses always, when articulating about your profession - even when you're not on duty. Towards your employer, you have obligation for loyalty, which designates that you won't cause any harm to your employer with your opinions and speeches, even on your spare time. Notice, that you and your workplace can also be identifiable when you're using nickname by combining things.
6. Use for a common good. Network with other professionals and gather some useful sources of information. Share information, which will benefit other professional, for example from articles or education you've taken. By means of social media participate to conversations regarding to health, wellness and quality of life and have an influence on decision making on both national and international level.
I think that these are really good and useful guidelines for registered nurses. These should be taken note of when studying and always be remembered. I think that at least some older generation nurses aren't aware of these guidelines and it would be really helpful, if these were visible on their working places also. Additionally there's of course workplace's own guidelines and rules for using social media, but these are universal terms which should be always observed. In a way these rules are valid for everyone, even if not working as a nurse and these should be everyday terms for everyone. If even half of people remembered these, social media could be better place to participate in.
I don't know who exactly is responsible for these rules but I'm guessing that there's some person, who's specialized for using social media and is creating these for everyone else. I think this person is in every workplace, or at least should be. When there's person corresponding about social media, he/she will make sure that everyone is aware of the guidelines and rules and will get to know them. I think that at least PPSHP (= Health Care District of Northern Ostrobothnia) has couple of these persons who are specialized to social media and are taking care of the common guidelines and rules and when necessary also updating them and creating new ones. In my opinion every workplace should have at least one of these persons and he/she does the rules co-operating with the employer. That's how you make sure that everyone has the same rules and are aware of them. Also I think that these ditto guidelines are good for everyone and could be used in any workplace, not just nursing places. I don't have anything to add to them, just thumbs up.
Resource: Sairaanhoitajaliitto. 2014. Sairaanhoitajien sosiaalisen median ohjeet. https://sairaanhoitajat.fi/jasenpalvelut/ammatillinen-kehittyminen/sairaanhoitajien-sosiaalisen-median-ohjeet/. Viitattu 9.6.2016.
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